


Around for Lunch

by Chickenparm



Series: Around for Lunch [1]
Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Abuse, DFAB reader, F/M, Female!Reader - Freeform, Friends to Lovers, Murdoc is his own warning, Reader-Insert, Set Around "Do Ya Thing", Two-Shot, reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-28 11:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10829931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chickenparm/pseuds/Chickenparm
Summary: "Two months later, after messaging back and forth and many lunches here and there, you got the first red flag that something wasn't quite right over in that house next door."





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Whoa, more Gorillaz stuff, what's happening right now. 
> 
> This is gonna be in two parts.

"G'mornin'." 

Your head snapped up and thudded against the raised trunk of your car. With a groan, you rubbed the injured spot and turned around, forgetting your groceries for just a minute. Behind you was one of your new neighbors. You hadn't had the chance to meet any of them besides the woman, who was rather pleasant. 

You'd seen this man before briefly, there were glimpses here and there in the two months that they'd lived there. The bright smile on his face slowly slipped as you stared at him longer, still rubbing your sore head. His hair was blinding blue in the morning sun, but his black eyes were even more distracting. Black? 

"Uh... good morning," You finally responded, and his smile came back again, a little more sheepish. The hand he pulled out of his pocket was large, long fingers gesturing to the bags in your car. 

"D'you need help? One trip's better than two, right?" You spared a glance to the bags behind you and gave him a short nod. With hands like his, he was easily able to take the rest of the bags you couldn't carry on your own... and to shut the trunk of the car as well. He was right, you would've heaved all these bags in on your own in one go, as long as you didn't have to make another trip outside. 

Up the cement stairs of your porch, you struggled to unlock the door and kicked it open when you succeeded. Your home was narrow and small, but it had three floors above. You had a moderate amount of money to your name, and still more coming in from various investments you'd made after coming in to the original lump sum. You easily were able to afford the place on your own. 

The man followed you in the kitchen and gently set the bags on the floor like you directed. He hovered for a minute as you started putting things away, and only spoke up when you regarded him with a confused look. Why was he still here? "My name's 2D, by the way. I'm one of your neighbors." 

"Strange name. I know, I've met Noodle already. She came 'round to borrow the password for my Wi-Fi." 

"I was wonderin' where she was gettin' it from!" Realization dawned on 2D's face, and as he spoke you could easily see his missing front teeth. He lacked a lisp, you noticed as he rambled on about something with the Wi-Fi. Apparently they owed money to the internet provider for the area and couldn't get them around to hook it up, yet. 

"D'you wanna stay around for lunch?" You piped up, interrupting him. Despite his sudden introduction, he was a likeable guy. You supposed he had to be, to live with someone as polite and sweet as Noodle. His blue head bobbed up and down enthusiastically, and he plopped down at the table in the middle of your kitchen. 

"Make yourself at home, then," You called over your shoulder as you finished putting groceries away. It was redundant though, considering he was already slouched at your table and not-so-subtly looking at the papers strewn across it. Most of it was earnings reports from the aforementioned investments. Real estate, businesses, stocks... Investing your money was the first thing you'd done when you Grandfather passed away and left you everything. 

You were determined to never work another day in your life. 

You dropped a plate with two grilled cheese sandwiches on it in front of 2D, and set yourself down across from him with food of your own, "So what do you do, then? You know what I do, obviously." 

2D at least had the grace to look sheepish as you gestured to the sheets across the table that he'd been snooping through. It didn't matter, you were proud of what you'd managed to accrue. You had time to pursue your hobbies and tend to the spice garden in your front window boxes. 

"Oh, I-I'm in a band. With everyone else in the house," 2D clarified, and you nodded before asking if his music was on Spotify. At the mention of it, his face brightened and he dug a battered smartphone out of his pocket. Within minutes, the basic music app was playing something you hadn't heard before. 

"This one's called Andromeda," He said over the persistent drum beat and quiet bass. You propped your chin your palm and listened intently until the vocals kicked in. Your eyes shot up to him in wonder – how on Earth does a beautiful voice like that come out of this Cockney fucker? At your reaction, his lips spread into a grin, and you could tell it boosted his ego. 

"This is _you_?" 

"Yeah. 'Course it's me, Murdoc sounds like someone steppin' on a cat when he sings," You had no clue who Murdoc was, and 2D must've realized it, "Murdoc's our bassist. Russel does drums, but he's a little... incapacitated right now, so he mostly just directed someone else to play." 

He went on to explain other things about his band – How they'd been pretty big a few years ago, and were working on a comeback. The song he'd shown you was the first time anyone outside the band had heard it, so you needed to keep it under wraps. No need to run around and tell everyone that Gorillaz was working on a new album. 

Something about 2D was enthralling – either the way his hands moved when he talked, the slow blinking of his dark eyes, the expressive movement of his eyebrows... you didn't realize that it had been hours until his phone rang on the table. Across the screen, a picture of a sneering man with sickly green skin flashed, with the name Murdoc. 

2D looked panicked and stood, not bothering to answer it. With a profuse flurry of apologies, he explained that he needed to get back home. You called your phone number after him as he left, and you briefly hoped he actually remembered it. You lived next door, so either way you would see him again. 

That night, your brain rattled with thoughts of blue haired musicians with eyes like black holes. 

 

Two months later, after messaging back and forth and many lunches here and there, you got the first red flag that something wasn't quite right over in that house next door. 

At 2AM, your phone started to ring incessantly. You tried to ignore it, but whoever it was called two more times. On the third attempt, you finally picked up and groaned for them to go away, that you were tired. The shaking voice on the other line snapped you awake in an instant. 

"C-Can you let me in? I need help," 2D in distress was something you hadn't witnessed before, but now that you had, you went into high alert. Hanging up on him and pulling on a pair of shorts and a huge t-shirt, you thundered down the stairs and swung the door open. 

Outside, 2D stood shifting from foot to foot. Something dark was blooming across his cheekbone, and you realized that it was a bruise. His lip was split, and his hand was clutching his left side tightly. You ushered him inside and to the bathroom, making him sit on the edge of the bathtub while you tried to find a first aid kit in the cupboards. 

"What the _fuck_ happened, 2D?" You asked, spinning around with a bottle of peroxide and an old hand towel. It was hard to see his pupils, but you knew they were directed over your shoulder at the tiled wall, refusing to look you in the eye. You sighed quietly and doused the corner of the rag in the peroxide so you could wipe at the split lip. 

"Murdoc," Was the only thing he said as you wiped at his mouth. It had to sting, but he made no indication of it. _Murdoc_ did this to him? Why the hell would he do that? You voiced your question and 2D waited until you were finished cleaning the split in his lip before speaking, "I looked at him wrong, I dunno. He's been on some shit lately. He's always been a mean ol' bastard, but somethin' really set him off tonight." 

"That's fucked up, 2D. You should leave," You advised as you gestured with your index finger for him to take his shirt off. With some grunting, he managed to get it over his head and you could see the extent of the damage to his ribs. Bruising was spread across there, too. He also had some shallow scrapes, but they weren't bleeding anymore so you wiped them down with the peroxide again and put a few band-aids on them. 

"Can't. Don't want to, either. It's... I-It's nothin' I'm not used to, really. Been dealin' with his shit for almost twenty years now, probably gonna deal with it for twenty more." 

"That's so shitty," Your only answer came out as a quiet mumble, and you stood back to admire your handiwork. There wasn't anything you could do for the bruising, but everything else looked like it would do, "D'you want some painkillers? I probably have some Hydrocodone for a surgery I had a while back. Just don't tell anyone I gave it to you." 

"No! No, I-I'm good. Sorry, I just... I used to use that real bad and I've been clean for a long time now. Don't wanna relapse. It's not so bad, I'm just shaken up, yeah," 2D's face looked panicked at the thought of even touching the painkillers, and you held up two hands placatingly to appease him. 

"Okay, okay. No painkillers. Do you wanna go back to your house? I have a futon couch in one of the rooms upstairs, if you don't wanna," Mentioning the possibility of staying under your roof soothed 2D's fidgeting immediately. It was strange, that he stayed around Murdoc for so long, even while being abused like this. Especially if he was going to jump at the chance of staying somewhere else for the night. 

You lead 2D up to the guest room across the hall from your own, and gestured grandly for him to enter. The couch was already unfolded, since your parents had come to visit a few months ago and you hadn't bothered to fold it back up, yet. You dug a few spare blankets and pillows out of the closet to give to him, and the little blanket nest he made was adorable. 

"I'm just across the hall, and the bathroom is down one floor on the left side, remember? Let me know if you need anything, alright?" 2D nodded slowly, and on an impulse you bent down to kiss him on the forehead, "G'night, 2D." 

 

2D's eye and cheek were a mix of yellow and purple when he stumbled into the kitchen the following morning. His lip was swollen as well, but that didn't stop him from giving you a tired smile as he dropped to the table. You set a cup of coffee in front of him, and as an afterthought you dropped a straw into it so he wouldn't hurt his lip even more. 

"Mmm, you're too good to me," He sighed as he drank, leaning back in the wooden chair precariously. You looked over your shoulder at him from the stove, where you were scrambling eggs for an extremely simple breakfast. That got put in front of him too, and you sat across with a hard look. 

"2D, I don't know why you want to stick around over there, but come over here if you need to get cleaned up, okay?" You didn't want to think about how many times he'd taken care of his own injuries before he got the nerve to come ask for help. You desperately wanted this sweet man to get out of there, but it was a lost cause. 

If 2D had resigned himself to it for the past twenty years, a few words from his neighbor wasn't going to do much. 

"Okay. Like I said, you're too good to me. I just hope you never have to meet Muds." 

"Do you think he'd do the same thing to me?" You asked before taking a long drink of your coffee. You had some actual work today – paperwork with the bank, and some emails and forms to go over upstairs in your little home office. 2D froze mid sip and shook his head slowly. 

"Worse, he'd hit on you." 

 

Martin, the man who helped you invest widely at the beginning, prattled to you on the phone as you mulled over the monthly report forms he'd sent you. You were losing money on some of these, and he was trying to come up with ideas on how to turn it around. Honestly, you couldn't be less interested. 

2D had gone back home when you had to leave for the bank, and you briefly thought of going to the level below to clean up the futon and fold it back up. As you set your pen down to do so, you heard yelling from next door. Y'know? Better leave it, for now. Might be used again... soon. 

Your phone call ended with Martin almost an hour later, and you were relieved. He could talk a brick wall to death, if he tried. A few floors below you, you could heard a steady knocking on your door, and more yelling. That didn't sound good. Closing your laptop, you trotted down to the entryway and opened the door. 

The man in front of you couldn't be anyone other than Murdoc – 2D had described him in depth. His black t-shirt was hanging off one shoulder, revealing a handful of hickies and more sickly green skin. You stood there awkwardly as he stared you down, barely noticing 2D standing a few steps below, wringing his hands in worry. 

"You've been sneaking over here for _her_?" Murdoc's lip curled into a sneer as his eyes roamed you up and down. You refused to fidget under his gaze. He would gain no ground against you, not unless it came to physical blows. Your eyes flicked over Murdoc's shoulder to look at 2D, and he offered a sheepish wave and a forced smile. 

"2D, want some dinner?" You leaned to the right to look past Murdoc more obviously, knowing it was going to grate on the nerves of the angry man. Well, at least you thought he was angry. It was hard to tell if that was just his face – constantly leering and lip curled. 2D's dark eyes frantically flashed between you and the back of Murdoc's head. 

It took a few seconds for him to gather the nerve, but he ducked under Murdoc's arm and dashed into your house like his ass was on fire. Murdoc didn't realize what had happened until it was entirely too late, "Look. I don't know why you bothered to come over here, but you should leave." 

"Not a problem, love," His anger melted in a sugary sweet tone, and he leaned one arm against the doorframe leisurely. 2D's words rang out in your head, and you knew what had happened before he even had the chance to work the strange magic 2D said he had, "I'll just head back over there, but you just come 'round if you get lonely in this big ol' house, yeah?" 

"Not to worry, I'll come over and see 2D if I do," You swung the door shut, and didn't bother to see if it hit him. You hoped it did, secretly. The magic 2D mentioned made no appearance, or maybe you were so tangled up in 2D that you were immune to Murdoc's voodoo. Murdoc's treatment of the man in your kitchen was at the forefront of your mind any time you spared a thought his way. 

"What the hell was that about, then?" You asked 2D as you came into the kitchen and took your usual spot across the table. 2D's hands tapped a beat on the table nervously, and he took a few seconds to really form an answer. 

"Guess he found out that I'd been sneakin' over here... Wanted to see what the fuss was about? I think he thought we were havin' sex, and he wanted to take you from me." 

That... made sense, actually. Unfortunately, you'd heard of Paula Cracker, and the handful of other girlfriends that 2D had over the years. Murdoc had only successfully had an affair with Paula, but he ran the rest off with his unwanted advances. With a quiet sigh, you reached across the table to pat 2D's hand gently and stood to get dinner ready. 

"You might wanna stay here again tonight, Murdoc's probably pretty pissed that I invited you in and slammed the door in his face." 

"You slammed the door in his face? Brilliant," His breathy little laugh danced around the room, no doubt thinking of Murdoc's face getting smashed by your door. You didn't have the heart to tell him that you didn't actually hear the door hit anything. Judging by the day this guy's had, you didn't want to ruin the small bit of happiness he'd found. 

The only thing you could be bothered to make was a box of macaroni and cheese, but 2D always seemed grateful for any meal you provided for him. He must not eat very well over there, but judging by his roommates, you didn't doubt it. Noodle was sweet, but didn't seem inclined to share her meals with anyone else in that house. 

2D slipped off to use your shower, he'd gone on a bit of a walk around town today and was complaining of being sweaty and gross. Not a problem, you told him. He knew where it was without your prompting – either by remembering last night, or by the fact that the floor plan of your house was nearly identical to his own. 

Still a small amount of time off from actually needing to go to bed, you curled up on the couch and turned on some game show from America. 2D came down to you after a strangely long amount of time, but it might just have been dragging on from the boring program in front of you. 2D dropped to sit beside you, and you sat in silence before he spoke up, "So, did I tell you we're gettin' evicted?" 

"What?" Your head swiveled to look at him, and he reached a long arm out to mute the television through the remote, repeating himself. The only noise in the room was the clock ticking on the wall. He was getting evicted? That meant your time with him was coming to an end. You knew it was anyway – They'd just finished their album and had tour dates planned. He'd be gone for months. 

"Where are you gonna go?" You ventured, and he gave you a lazy shrug. Of course he didn't know, you were surprised he managed to find his way down the sidewalk to your house. You crossed your arms over your chest and leaned back to look up at the ceiling, "Am I gonna see you again?" 

"Probably? I mean, you treat me nicer than anyone else. I like you, you're my favorite," You rolled your head to the side to look at him, and the two of you shared a strange smile at his words. 

"You're my favorite, too, 2D. Just... promise you'll come 'round? Murdoc's right, it does get lonely here sometimes," 2D's head bobbed furiously, and he reached a hand out to you for a second before snatching it back like he'd been burned. You looked at him oddly before he reached out again and ran a few fingertips along the line of your jaw. 

"I'll come 'round as much as I can. Y'know things are gonna be real messy with the touring, and the Interviews coming up-" 

"Well, I'll be here cheering you on, I guess. Just let me know when things air, okay? I'll watch 'em all," 2D let out that sweet breathy laugh again and leaned forward to lay a kiss at the corner of your lips. 

"I'll call you all the time, if you want." 

"You better," 2D laughed again at your warning, and with interlocked hands the two of you unmuted the television and continued to watch the program. 

The next morning, you watched out your front window as a rickety pick-up truck was loaded down with various objects from the house. 2D climbed into the passenger's seat, Noodle took the wheel, and you made eye-contact with 2D as they pulled away. You definitely weren't crying.


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ya go, friendos. Thank you for all the kind comments, luv u
> 
> Edit May 8th, 217: I haven't gotten kudos and comments this fast for any of my stories thus far. Y'all are some thirsty thots I tell u what. Thanks.

His face slowly inched closer to yours, and you realized that this needed to get nipped in the bud. 

"I'm sorry, I had a nice time but I don't think we should do this again," You leaned back a bit, out of his reach. Your date for the night, a man named Marco that you met on Tinder, had the audacity to look angry. As he spun on his heel and called you multiple rude names, you let out a quiet sigh. Dodged a bullet with that one. 

Marco had spent most of the night trying to talk about a variety of subjects to try and impress you – sports, his clubs in high school, the amount of zeros on his paycheck... only to change the subject when you'd join in with more experience than he had. The real cherry on top is when he walked you to your door and went in for that kiss. Gross. 

Stepping into your house, you shut the door quietly and kicked your heels off next to your shoe rack. You'd get those later, maybe tomorrow. Probably in a month. You dug your phone out of your purse and performed your nightly ritual of checking your phone messages for anything coming from 2D. It had been eight months since he'd moved out, and he slowly stopped contacting you as he got busier and busier. 

Knowing that didn't make it hurt any less. 

With nothing waiting for you, you stomped upstairs to clean your makeup off and get ready for bed. You wanted to tell yourself to give him time to do his job – their new album had rocketed to the top of the charts and he was jetting all over the globe now. You didn't lie when you said you'd keep tabs on all his interviews. 

It was still disheartening that he didn't even have a few seconds to let you know he was doing okay, and that Murdoc hadn't clocked him in the eye again. 

 

The unfamiliar ringtone in your bedroom didn't register at first. 

The default one you used was just some chiming bells, something basic that came with the phone. This one was a familiar song that you had heard often – Andromeda. Wracking your brain, you tried to think about what the hell was going on. Eventually, the ringing stopped and you started to doze for all of three seconds until it starting ringing again. 

Reaching blindly for your phone, you almost knocked it off the bedside table, but eventually you clasped it in your fingers and looked at the screen. It was a blurry selfie of 2D, and you sat up quickly. You had set 2D's ringtone to something custom, so you wouldn't be tempted to ignore it _if_ he ever called. 

It hit the side of your head with a thud as you hurriedly answered it, and the voice on the other side was wavering. This entire scene felt familiar, hit home by the voice on the other line, "C-Can you open up? I... I need help, again, I think." 

It felt like history was repeating itself – you hung up the phone, trampled down the stairs, and flung the door open. 2D was outside in the rain, clutching his arms around himself and his hair plastered to his forehead and cheeks. He looked lost, in more ways than one. Seeing him standing there, you were tempted to feel angry that he hadn't contacted you, but he looked too pitiful for you to bring that down on him now. 

Dragging him inside to the kitchen, you left for seconds to get a towel for him to dry off. 2D took it without a word and ran it over his head to stop the water dripping into his eyes. In the meantime, you ran a pot of coffee so he had something warm to drink. Turning to him as he was starting to pull his shirt off, you couldn't hold it in anymore, "2D, what the _fuck_?" 

"I-I'm sorry, I know this is... I shouldn't've, but M-Murdoc was... we were fightin', and then I just- I just clocked him and ran. I dunno, I ended up here-" 

"You decked Murdoc?" You asked, taking his shirt from his hands to wring out over the sink. You'd throw it in the dryer in a minute, after you scraped this story out of 2D's hands. 

"Why were you fighting?" You pressed, and 2D slumped in one of the kitchen chairs with a heavy sigh. The one he always used, all those months ago. Your head was reeling from the familiarity of all this – you should be upset, you should be demanding reasons as to why he stopped calling. You might not have been in a relationship, but some kissing had happened that last night together. That had to have meant _something_. 

"Murdoc's been worse than usual lately, I guess. I just kept thinkin' about what you said about me leavin' and I just... I told him to fuck off, and then he tried to take a swing but I got 'im first. I think I knocked him out, but I ran away," 2D's hands laid on the table, picking at the skin around his fingernails and leaving wet streaks on the glossy top. Leveling him with a long stare, one that probably made his anxiety even worse, you finally let him have it. 

"Okay. That doesn't explain why you haven't sent me any indication that you've been okay in months. The only news I've gotten was your fuckin' interviews, and don't think I didn't see the black eyes and limping. I told you to come to me if you needed help, even if it was just to call-" 

"Yeah, well I'm here now ain't I?" 2D's tone was petulant, and it made the blood roar in your veins. You sucked in a breath to say words you'd probably regret, but something in your brain made you freeze. 2D was right, no matter how much of a prick he was being about it. He was here, and the least you could do is make sure he was taken care of. 

"Yeah, well you could've at least checked in once in a while. I've been so worried about you, you fuckin' moron," You hissed at him, and the two of you locked eyes for a few seconds before he finally backed down and looked away. Slamming the mug and coffee pot around, you got him set up with a cup and made your own. The silence stretched for miles between you, the only interruption being far-off claps of thunder. 

"I'm not a moron," 2D finally looked up from his mug at you, his eyes completely drained of any energy. He'd probably fall asleep at his chair if you let him. Even so, you could see the tell-tale furrow of his brow that said volumes about how that comment had hurt his feelings. Murdoc must've been using that one on him for a while, and you realized your insensitivity. 

"I know, I'm sorry. I just... do you understand why I'm upset? Why didn't you just take two seconds to call me? You promised..." Your sentence trailed off in the space between you, and 2D's lips turned into a frown. His dark eyes dropped back to his hands around his coffee mug, and remorse rolled off him in waves. 

"I... I forget things, you know that. I'd get your messages and then tell myself I'd answer 'em later because I was doin' sound check, or interviews, or promo stuff.. A-and by the time I'd get to it, it'd be so late here so I'd put it off 'til the next day, and then I just kept puttin' it off more n' more," As he spoke, his words got more and more frantic and jumbled, like he was trying his damnedest to convince you of his excuse. You propped your elbows on the table and buried your face in your hands in exasperation. 

"You forgot me? For eight months?" You mumbled into your palms, and the sound of his wild gestures probably meant he was waving his hands in front of him to placate you. 2D made a few strange noises before he finally squeezed a few words out. 

"N-no! Never! I-I just- I just... I thought 'bout you every day. I left and came back to you, din't I? I'm sorry it took me so long, but I... missed you. You're my favorite, remember?" Cracking your fingers, you peeked out between them to make eye contact with 2D. His shadowed eyes looked frantic and terrified, like he was worried you were going to kick him out of your house. You entertained the thought for a second, but you couldn't even bear it. You might be upset with him, but you couldn't just throw him out when you finally got him back. 

But for how long? 

Murdoc would definitely come scrambling for his singer. Despite Murdoc taking most of the credit, 2D was really the backbone of the band. Without the voice of 2D, Gorillaz wasn't the same. This little blue-haired weirdo really pulled the whole thing together. Murdoc would eventually put two-and-two together and come banging on your front door, screaming for you to give him back. 

"2D," His name came from your lips as a sigh, and he sunk into his chair obviously getting the wrong idea, "You can stay if you need to. I'm upset still, but I... missed you too." 

2D's face did a complete one-eighty, his brow smoothing out and his lips curling into that toothy grin that you remembered so fondly. His hands crept forward to pull your palms from your face, and he held hands with you gently, "Thank you. I promise, I'll make it up t'you. I'll give you money. Buy you flowers. Give you sexual favors, I dunno." 

"Just... don't leave me hanging again, alright? I thought we kind of had something going before you up and disappeared on me," 2D's smile turned sly at your words, and you felt a small sense of foreboding. 

"I mean, we still could have somethin' goin'-" 

"Oh no, I'm still upset with you. You're gonna have to wait, now." 

 

"Y'know I love you, right?" 2D asked from across the house in the living room as you worked on the dishes in the sink. You almost dropped the plate in your hands before setting it down gently in the soapy water. Well, that came out of nowhere. 

"No, you don't," You called back and dunked your hands in the sink again to retrieve the plate. 2D had microwaved something with cheese, and it left a lump of charcoal on your dish. It had been almost a week since he landed on your doorstep and took up residence on your futon once more, and having his presence in the house again felt like something clicked back into place. You'd missed him terribly. 

2D's quick footsteps thudded across the hardwood floors as he rounded the corner into the kitchen. He leaned forward against the kitchen table on his arms, looking completely at ease with being in your home, and the confession he'd just yelled through the walls, "Yeah, I do. I told you, you're my favorite. I've loved you since the first day we moved in over there and I saw you workin' on your plants with that stupid sun hat-" 

"My hat isn't stupid, you rude prick," You grumbled as you scrubbed particularly hard at an already-clean cup. 2D only laughed behind you, that silly breathy thing that made your heart jump, but he said nothing else. You hoped he wasn't waiting for you to repeat the sentiment back, but he continued to stand there in silence as you methodically washed plates and bowls and cups. Finally, you cracked. 

"2D... I like you a lot. Really, I do... but I don't love you, yet." 

"Yet?" His tone sounded hopeful, and you smiled to yourself. Of course he'd pick up on that little word – he might be a bit slow, but he wasn't a complete moron like you'd accidentally accused before. You'd stalled enough and dried your hands so you could turn around and give 2D your attention. He obviously wasn't kidding. 

"Yet. Look, 2D, we can try this again if you want, but you can't just... Forget about me, alright? I don't care if it's late, or if it's only for 30 seconds," 2D seemed to be in awe that you finally agreed to actually giving the two of you another shot after he'd cocked it up the first time around. Even though your hand was still damp and pruned from the water, you stepped around the table to lay a hand on 2D's cheek. He had a bit of stubble going on, you'd need to have him shave before it turned into the weird facial hair he just couldn't manage to grow properly. 

2D got the hint and leaned down to kiss your lips – he tasted like your toothpaste, that little prick. 

 

Just as you'd suspected, Murdoc came around about a month after 2D's initial arrival, banging on the door and demanding you open up. 

Untangling yourself from 2D's limbs, unfortunately waking him up in the process, you pulled your clothes on and went down to shoo him away. As much as 2D talked about leaving the band for good and trying to get a job doing solo music, you knew he would cave and let Murdoc drag him back. They were inevitably tied to each other. 

2D followed you down, peeking over your shoulder as you opened the door and watched Murdoc's shoulders heave in irritation, "Give him back, you had your turn." 

His wording made you bristle, but 2D pressed a feather-light touch to your shoulder blade before he held a finger up to Murdoc so he could gather up his meager belongings. You stared down the green man for a few seconds before his lips broke into a sneer, "Dunno why you bother with him. He's got nothin' up in his head, that one." 

"Yeah, but he still knocked you out, funny that," You quipped back, and you could practically see Murdoc's hair stand on end. With a closer look, you could make out the telltale signs of a fading black eye on his face. Yeah, 2D got him good. 

"Doesn't matter, he'll get it later." 

"If you're an ass to him, he'll just leave again. You catch more bees with sugar, rather than vinegar," Murdoc's eyebrows rose for half a second before dropping down into a heavy glare. Of course, he didn't think he needed you to patronize him, not when the little bumblebee 2D was buzzing down the hallway to leave. He'd won anyway. Murdoc always wins. 

Murdoc spun on his heel to get into the beat-up black car parked out front, and you turned to 2D with a sigh as he stopped next to you, "Promise you'll call?" 

"I promise. I'll text you Noodle's number in a minute, if I don't answer she'll come beat me up 'til I do." 

His crooked teeth peeked through his smile, and you couldn't stop your own from growing. Throwing your arms around his waist, you pulled yourself in to his chest for a tight hug, and mumbled against his chest, "I love you, dummy." 

"Love you too," His lips pressed to your forehead for a brief moment, then he was down the stairs to Murdoc's car. You watched it rumble down the street. You definitely were crying, this time.


End file.
